Railroad crossing



Dec. 12, 1933. H. E. WHITE RAILROAD CROSSING Filed Nov. ll, 1931 2 Sheets-Shet l Dec. 12, 1933. H. E. wHn-E RAILROAD CROSSING Filed Nov. ll, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N m. N N

WN N WN MPN Patented Dec. l2, 1933 ;'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILROAD CROSSING Herbert E.'White, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Truscon Steel Company, Youngstown, Ohio, a' l corporation of Michigan Application November 11, 1931 Serial No. 574,412

8 claims. (ol. 2387-8) Ihe object of the present invention is to provide a structure including units that can be readily fabricated of plate metal, can be-easily laid, and

rwill constitute a` crossing much more permanent Still another object is to provide a unit that-- lends itself to theuse of electrical insulating elements, the form thereof automatically locking said elements in place, the contour `of the units furthermore serving to provide air spaces that prevent the accumulation of moisture and the consequent rusting out of the metalportions.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure lis a plan view of one embodiment of the invention.

scale and on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a modified form of construction.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention where a diagonal crossing is necessary.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a modication of the same.

Figure '1 is a detail sectional view on the line 7 7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a plan view of still another form a diagonal crossing may take.

Figure 9 is a plan view of one of the units.

Figure 10 is a detail view showing how the outer ends of the terminal units may be formed.

In the embodiment disclosed in Figures 1 and 2 the usual rails of a railroad are designated 11, and are supported by the cross ties, indicated at 12. The crossover consists of a plurality of units laid side by side and end to end on the ties and longitudinally of the rails 11, both between the same and preferably also on the outer sides thereof As these units are all of the same construction a description of one it is believed will sufce. Each unit consists of a casing or shell formed by deforming a metal plate or sheet. As shown this shell has a top wall 13 forming a tread plate with depending side walls 14, which it will be noted, converge downwardly and terminate with inturned integral flanges 15. The top wall 13 may be roughened, as indicated at 16. In the complete structure the unit is preferably ll'ed with concrete 17 or other cementitious material. The

` units are each of a lengthto bridge the space between two or more ties, so that their ends will rest on the ties, and in the preferred form of construction, these units when lled with concrete, are sufnciently heavy to maintaintheir position against upwardy displacementrbytheir `own weight, or in other words, by gravity, so that fasteners and the like', except at the outer ends of the end units, are unnecessary. l i

In. actual practice the `manufacture need only make the shells and the railroad company or other user can fill them with concrete. This` obviously savesmuch weightin transportation' and makes it `possible for the user to complete the structure and install the samewithout material diiiiculty.

The advantages ofthe structure, it is thought, will be clear by reference to Figure 2. It will be noted that-by reason of the downwardly convergent supportingfwalls of the units open airA spaces Figure 2 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged 18may be left between the adjacent side walls of 75 adjacent units so `that moisture will not settle against the walls and consequently rust them out as quickly as if they were abutted or substantially abutted. More than'that, as shown in Figure 2y electrical insulating strips 19 of wood or the like' can be interposed between the rails and adjacent units and by having these strips upwardly tapered, they are automatically locked against upward displacement by reason ofthe form'of the side walls 14 that are associated therewith.

Moreover, it is not necessary that the insulation by placed directly at the rails. If desired, as shown n Figures 3 and 4, insulating strips 20 that are wedge-shaped in cross section, can be placed between intermediate units and will be eiectively held in place. In such a structure metal spacing elements 2l are preferably employedbetween the inner sides of the rails and the adjacent units, these strips being U-shaped in cross section and serving to provide the necessary channels in winch the flanges of the Wheels travel.

The structure lends itself moreover to diagonal crossings as illustrated in Figure 5. In this form of structure the outer terminals of the end units are still maintained perpendicular to the track Vand have the advantage that if an object hanging from a passing car should strike the same, it will not be thrown toward the rail.

In Figure 8 a modication is shown in which the outer terminals of theend units are beveled, providing continuous lines at the sides of the crossing.

As illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 the outer terminals of the end units may be beveled so as to avoid the danger vof low hanging equipment walls.

From the foregoing, it is'thought 'that the construction, operation and many advantages "ofthe herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that x various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to `with- -out departing from the spirit or sacri'cing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A unit for railroad crossings and'the'like comprising a shell of deformed metal having a top tread plate wall and depending sidewalls r=thatg converge ;.downwardly, said -side .walls :having iinsetssupporting feet `located :between fthe side fwalls.

, 2.-"Arunit for. railroad crossings andl theflike z comprising a `shell -of `deformed metal -having a top tmad-1wa1l-,and-side `walls depending fromthe 'outerz edgesof'4 .the tread lwall andfinclined linvwardly, toprovide 1, aV supporting -base =of. a width less than that of the tread wall, said lsidewalls havingfinsetfflangesalong theirlower edges extending laterally towards each other.

3.=fA-railroad; crossing =or thelikecomprising a rplurality of .units located side -by-side, the units consisting ofametal shellshavingtopftread walls andsupporting. sidewalls, a llingV of cementitious fmateriallling fthe shellsa and-providing-sufcient -weight tor' thewunits to :hold them fbyagravity zagainst upward displacement; and -imeanssecur- :ing the'cementitiousgmaterialfin .the-shells.

eso

also

4..'A-railroadcrossing for the'like comprising a plurality of :units 4located fside bylside, the =units Vconsistingfofrmetal shells =having -top itread walls and supporting sidewalls-,a lling of-cementitious material-filling the' yshells andfproviding 'sufficient weight to the units to hold them by gravity against upward displacement, and means for securing them against longitudinal displacement, and means securing the cementitious material in the shells.

5. A railroad crossing or 4the `like comprising a plurality-of metal. units havingi top walls, and

side walls extending downwardly from the side "edges'of the top walls, the side walls of adjacent f units forming between them a space that generally tapers in an upward direction, and insulat- :ingstrips in certain of said spaces.

6. A railroad crossing or the like comprising a ,'pluralityof metal' units having top walls and sidewalls extending downwardly from the side edges of the top Walls, the side walls of adjacent units'sfo'rming between them a space that generally tapers in an upward direction, and insulating strips located alongside the inclined side walls of certain of the units and being thereby held .f1 against upward displacement.

.7.-A railroad crossing or the-like comprising a plurality of UnitsIOGated-side by sideand end to eend, the units being ofa lengthfto bridge the spaces between the ties,L and ysaid units consist-'1 fing, ofv metal shells having ltop tread'walls and supporting side walls, a Afilling of cementitious 4material filling the' shellsl and providing suiiicient Weight to the units to hold them by gravity -against upward displacement, y. and means secur,

ing the cementitious-material in the shells.

-8. A railroad crossing or 4the like comprising a yplurality of -unitslocated side byfside and end to end,1the units being of.a length to. bridge the spaces. between the ties, yand said units consist-l ing of metalfshells having-top tread VWalls and supporting side-walls, a-,lling yofcementitious ,material `filling, .theshells yand'providing sufficient weight to the units to hold them` by.- gravity against-*upward displacemenmand means for se;

curing them vagainst Ilongitudinal .'displacement,

and means rsecuring thecementitious material in the shells. e

- HERBERT E. WHITE. 

